WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COMPLETES SOUTH CAROLINA SWING WITH 60-57 WIN

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CHARLESTON, S.C. – A snow/ice storm hammered South Carolina earlier this week. Perhaps forecasters were able to prepare Coastal Carolina and Charleston Southern for the unusual weather. However, they were most likely unable to predict the storm to follow.

The succeeding storm, you may ask, was Radford women's basketball. Two days after earning a come-from-behind 63-62 victory over Coastal Carolina, the Highlanders prevailed, 60-57, over CSU in a dramatic Big South contest Saturday afternoon inside the Buc Dome. Radford's 2-for-2 trip marks the first time the Highlanders (5-17, 3-10 Big South) have went on the road and swept the "beach series" since 2007.

"What a way to cap off a great week for our program," head coach Mike McGuire said. "I am so proud of the focus, effort, and determination by our ladies on this two-game road trip to South Carolina. These two wins are huge for this team. The growth this team has shown over the past month has been tremendous. This team is improving, competing, and becoming closer together. We need to maintain the momentum and continue to improve as we prepare for the last month of regular-season play."

Leading all scorers on the afternoon was Ayana Avery, who dropped in 18 points. The junior sharpshooter, who entered the game sixth in the nation for 3-pointers made per game, connected on 4-of-6 from long range. In her last four outings, Avery has been lethal from 3-point land, going 23-for-41 (56 percent).

It was not just Avery getting the job done, however, as RU received double-figure scoring from four Highlanders for the second game in a row. Breshara Gordon buried six of her eight attempts from the floor to notch 15 points, which was her sixth straight double-digit scoring effort. Aisha Foy finished with 12 points, while Kiera McIvor chipped in 10.

Charleston Southern (8-14, 4-9 Big South) was led in the scoring column by Erin Bratcher (13), Anicia Dotson (13) and Alyssa Mann (12). Dotson hauled in a game-high 14 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end. Behind Dotson's impressive performance on the glass, the hosts outrebounded RU, 51-37.

Radford's defense hounded the Buccaneers all game. The pressure showed on the stat sheet as CSU was held to 27.8 percent shooting. On the other hand, the Highlanders knocked down 47.6 percent of their attempts.

Like the first meeting, CSU got out to a quick start by hitting its first three 3-pointers of the game. The Bucs eventually stretched their lead to double digits (21-11) with 9:36 remaining in the first half. Over the next seven minutes, Radford held CSU scoreless while embarking on a 9-0 run to get within 21-20. Despite the Highlanders' late charge, the Bucs were able to snatch a 30-25 favor at the break.

A lengthy scoring drought hit the Bucs after Mann drained a jumper at the 15:08 mark to give the hosts a 39-36 edge. Over the next six minutes, the Highlanders held CSU scoreless while they mounted another 9-0 run to regain the lead (45-39) with 9:35 remaining in the game. Radford led by as many as 10 in the final minutes, but after a rally by the Bucs, Gordon had to swat a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to preserve the victory.

The Highlanders are back at the Dedmon Center for two games next week. First up is a Feb. 6 matchup with Presbyterian College at 7 p.m.

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